Slave of the Shadows
by Doragon67
Summary: This is my second story with another new character. He is the opposite of my other character in most ways but he does have a few issues. Once they were friends but now this character has been changed by something or someone.
1. Canceled Contract

**Slave of the Shadows**

* * *

**Cancelled Contract**

Some people may tell you that shadows are just cast by objects of which light cannot pass through. Some say that shadows are a passageway between light and dark, protecting human kind from the evil that lurks beyond. But some shadows are not tied down to an object, and are, in them, a demonic power. These shadows can move freely about their surroundings. This floating fortress is one of those shadows.

If it wasn't for the shroud of both shadow and darkness, blocking light on the outside, this tower would have drawn a lot of attention from the surrounding lands. This magical shield could not be seen from outside, you had to be on the inside to see it, but you still would not be able to understand how it was possible. No one has ever broken through the whirlwind surrounding it, no one has even dared. Saibannin stood upon the only balcony on this fortress, overlooking the maelstrom, having a long discussion with someone who could not be seen or heard. Of course you would assume that he wasn't all there if you saw him pacing about the balcony having a heated argument with, it would seem, himself. If anyone where to say he was in any way insane, which has happened before, they would not last long in his presence.

The conversation lasted some time and he was getting more and more agitated each time he spoke.

"Yes, I know we need to get rid of him," he was starting to get very angry with someone. There was silence before he spoke again.

"I have people searching for him as we speak," Still silence. His voice started to lower down to a calm tone and he learnt on the balcony edge.

"I am not an idiot; I know what I'm doing."

After his conversation was finished he could hear voices outside his door, they weren't very quiet either.

"You can't go in, he is in conference," one voice explained.

"I want my money, now get out of my way before I make you" the other voice seemed familiar to Sai. It was likely to be some mercenary he had hired, with which he had no intention of paying if he returned empty handed.

Sai headed towards the door slowly, annoyed that someone had no concept of the word 'can't.'

He passed through the closed door like a ghost and stood in the hall, startling the two men.

"Why have I been disturbed, is there some sort of problem?" he waited for a reply, his patience growing thin.

The mercenary spoke first "I want my money."

"So I heard" Sai replied "but why should I pay you?"

"I did what you sent me to do," was the response.

There was silence, and then Sai smiled and spoke "you had better come in then."

With that Sai turned and marched back into his room, followed by the mercenary who was getting increasingly agitated.

"So, you found Doragon?" Sai stood in the middle of the room, facing him, awaiting an answer.

"Yes I did, you never told us what he could do, and I lost my entire team back there." The mercenary was shouting at this point, which attracted the attention of the guards down the hall, who came running into the room to help Sai, but he held up his hand to halt them.

Sai then turned his attention back to the mercenary.

"Your entire team?" he then turned his back. The mercenary ventured forward unaware of his fate.

"So therefore you did not do what I asked, I specifically told you to eliminate him," Sai explained.

"I don't care," was what came out of the mercenary's mouth "I want compensation, they are all dead."

"All of them?" Sai asked.

"Yes, all of them, are you deaf or something?""

"Then perhaps you would like to join them," the guards by the door snickered, but Sai raised his hand to silence them.

"What..." the mercenary didn't even have time to finish before Sai's katana was drawn and slammed across his chest, sending him down to the ground, lying still.

Sai stood over him, looking down upon his lifeless body, as he spoke to the guards "Take him away, Kawari can have him."

He then turned and headed back to the balcony, wiping his katana, before muttering "I'm sure he's hungry."

The two guards dragged the corpse out of Sai's quarters and down into the heart of the fortress. They took the body into a large cavern that was so dark that the guards had trouble bringing the mercenary inside. As quickly as they entered the guards dashed for the cavern entrance as quickly as they could. While the cavern was being closed behind them an earth shattering screech echoed throughout the cave, deafening the guards, making it difficult to close it off. Eventually they got the entrance closed and jumped back as the large door shook with great force and then was still. They returned to their duties afterwards, not wanting to talk about the cave, what this Kawari creature was or why Saibannin needed it in the first place.

* * *

**These are the Japanese words I used in this chapter:**

**Saibannin = Judge (it was shortened to **_**Sai **_**for most of this chapter)  
****Doragon = Dragon  
****Katana = Sword  
****Kawari = Change**


	2. Losing Doragon

**Losing Doragon**

Saibannin stood on his balcony thinking about how he was going to deal with his current problem when he noticed a purple smoke flowing about his feet and turned to meet a large figure slightly taller than himself. It just stood there, staring down at him.

"What do you want Jakkaru?" Sai said, not too happy with the intrusion.

"You know what I want boy," Jakkaru replied.

Jakkaru was a pretty large demon for most of the humanoid types with short purple fur covering his body from head to toe. He was mostly human in appearance apart from the obvious jackals head and large rear paws under his hitoe and hakama. His obvious annoyance with Sai could not be hidden and if you knew what he was like you would not want to be in the room at this moment.

"Kawari failed," Jakkaru snarled, "I do not tolerate failure."

"Kawari is not my concern, He's your pet," Sai replied calmly, returning to the balcony.

"Do not try my patience boy," Jakkaru growled, "you better get the job done or I'll..."

"Or you'll what?" Sai interupted, "I know you're not really here."

Sai felt a large hand spin him round and lift him by the throat and off the ground, he was gasping for air when a thought came into his head, "Why is he here in person, he's never here in person." Just at this thought passed through his head Jakkaru was right in his face, glaring at him.

"You had better prove how useful you can be boy," Jakkaru snarled, "The last time I left things to you, you lost him." Jakkaru dropped him and turned into Sai's quarters and placed himself down in a preying position, waiting for Sai to fix himself up.

"That night was not my fault, my men..." Sai started but Jakkaru stopped.

"Do not blame your men boy," Jakkaru spoke calmly, "Accept your mistakes."

"My mistakes?" Sai spluttered.

"Yes your mistakes," Jakkaru repeated, "I gave you the power to defeat him and you still failed, that makes it your fault."

"That night was not my doing Jakkaru," Sai said, trying to defend himself, "I didn't know he was going to survive that fall."

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

Doraiku was watching a group of soldiers raiding a village from the safety of the nearby wood. He couldn't be sure how many men there were from his position but he was not the sort of person who would pass up a challenge. He waited for a few moments watching their movements closely. Each soldier passed by every five minutes making equal opportunity for Doraiku to past by the guard post unnoticed. He saw his chance and slowly made his way up to the village gate, ducking inside when he was sure no one could see him. The deeper he got into the village the harder it was to avoid detection, so many times he was nearly spotted but somehow the soldiers patrolling the village didn't notice him. Doraiku sensed a trap but he seemed to like springing traps and very rarely got caught, but a near miss wasn't unheard of. He made his way into the centre of town which he decided was where the trap was set since the sky was getting darker. His decision was correct because when he got to the square a large group of soldiers appeared as if from nowhere, blocking his escape.

"This is more like it," Doraiku explained, with a grin, when the soldiers appeared and surrounded him.

"I'm glad you like it old friend," came a reply from behind him.

Doraiku turned to see Saibannin, an old childhood friend from his homeland, dressed almost like a warlord, with armour covered in Jackal symbols, standing on the roof of an old house.

"Nice welcome Sai," Doraiku called, "Did you think of it all by yourself?"

"Ah, Doragon, always the comedian," Sai smirked, "But I would advise you to keep your tongue behind your teeth."

"Now wheres the fun in that," Doraiku replied, still with a grin on his face.

"Do u think this is a game Doragon?" Sai asked, crossing his arms.

"Well its kinda hard to take this seriously when your dressed like that," Doraiku said, pointing to Sai and unlatching the strap keeping half of his yari in place on his right side.

"Shall I give the order Sir?" said one of Sai's generals, but Sai just held out his hand.

"No, I'll deal with him myself," Sai replied jumping down from the roof and landing on the ground below, removing his cloak on the way down and throwing it to one side.

Sai ran at Doraiku, full speed, hoping to catch him off guard, but Doraiku was ready. Every punch he sent at Doraiku was blocked every time, even when he used the concealed blades in his gauntlets, Doraiku blocked them with his left hand and jumped onto a nearby building, laughing to himself, clearly not taking anything seriously.

"What do I have to do to kill you," Sai shouted up at him angrily.

"Alot more than your doing now," Doraiku replied, with a grin still plastered on his face.

The air surrounding Sai began to pick up as he gripped the hilt of his katana and as he drew it from the sheath it was glowing an eerie purple. He jumped into the air and sent a beam of powerful energy straight towards Doraiku from his katana. Doraiku pulled the half of his yari with the blade out from his right side and slid under the beam just before it made contact with him. Sai began to descend onto the building and made a slash at Doraiku with his katana, but it was blocked by Doraiku's yari. They locked weapons and it would seem they were equally matched.

"You've gotten better old friend," Doraiku said trying to hold Sai's katana away from his face.

"Training to defeat you Doragon," Sai growled.

At that moment the blades from Sai's gauntlets launched out, catching Doraiku of guard, scratching across the bridge of his nose and down his left cheek. He jumped back holding his face to stop the bleeding.

"Do you really think I would let you beat me Doragon?" Sai asked, smiling evilly.

"Where's your honor Sai?" Doraiku shouted back.

"Honor means nothing to me these days," Sai replied, wiping the blood from his hidden blades.

Doraiku stood there, holding his face with both hands, wondering how one of his friends ended up this way. Sai slowly walked closer to Doraiku, katana at the ready, preparing to finish the man stood before him. Just as he got three feet away from him, Doraiku opened his hands and a jet of red flame burst from between them, forcing Sai to cover his face. When the flames finally stopped and Sai could see what was going on, Doraiku was gone, a small blood trail travelling down the side of the building.

"FIND HIM!" Sai shouted to the soldiers in the square, who made their way through the village, searching for Doraiku.

Doraiku managed to make his way back to the forest, cleaning his wound as best he could, using the cloth wrapped around his yari. He could hear the soldiers heading his way and knelt down behind a tree, waiting. The first soldier didn't know what hit him. Doraiku forced the blade from his gauntlet through the soldiers foot, making him scream in pain, but muffeled him quickly and dashed off towards the cliffs over looking a forest below.


End file.
